Landing Checklist

Somehow, I am comforted to know that my commercial transatlantic flight
captain with 15,000 hours and a copilot still uses a checklist before
landing, even though everything is normal procedure for him or her.

wrote:
Somehow, I am comforted to know that my commercial transatlantic flight
captain with 15,000 hours and a copilot still uses a checklist before
landing, even though everything is normal procedure for him or her.

When I fly power (mostly the Skylane that I own a small piece of), I use
written checklists too and wouldn't consider otherwise as there are many
items that need attention. Glider cockpits are simpler and mnemonic
checklists work for me - YMMV.

Tony V

Sure, and in my 2000 hours in F-4s my pilot and I always used a
checklist before landing - but it was for items that needed to be setup
or checked to ensure a safe landing - not basic airmanship issues! If
I recall correctly, the pre-landing checks for the F-4 was Gear - down,
Flaps - full down, Hydraulic pressures - good, Warning lights - check,
Anti-skid - On. Nothing about speed to fly based on fuel weight, wind,
pattern, use of the speed brakes to slow down, etc. - these are part of
the landing procedure and did not need a checklist.

There was a Descent checklist that was accomplished during the initial
descent to take care of the administrative cleanup of the cockpit -
such things as fuel on internal tanks, cabin pressure, altimeter
settings, etc. that was meant to ensure the jet was configured for an
approach. Most of the glider "landing checklists" fit better in this
category - and as such should be accomplished BEFORE entering the
pattern. Used this way, they make sense. I just don't think they are
useful or appropriate while in the pattern - by then it's too late or
even counterproductive!

In my case, I use Wind Water Wheels when I'm about 4 miles out, and
have to decide on the pattern direction, speed to fly based on winds
and ballast, whether to drop ballast or not, etc. Also which way the
gear handle works, if flying a new ship (a low downwind is NOT the time
to be guessing which way is down!). It's my cue to put my brain in
Land mode, and clean up the cockpit prior to setting up for the landing
evolution.

In the pattern, I concentrate on lookout and conditions, and configure
the ship on downwind - gear, flaps as required by wind, spoilers. And
fly the pattern as needed. I do not go through a checklist at that
point - it's too distracting.

And I recheck the Gear when I roll out on final. Flaps are really
optional in my ship, and spoilers are obvious!

Works for me so far - YMMV, of course.

Kirk
66

wrote:
Sure, and in my 2000 hours in F-4s my pilot and I always used a
checklist before landing - but it was for items that needed to be setup
or checked to ensure a safe landing - not basic airmanship issues! If
I recall correctly, the pre-landing checks for the F-4 was Gear - down,
Flaps - full down, Hydraulic pressures - good, Warning lights - check,
Anti-skid - On. Nothing about speed to fly based on fuel weight, wind,
pattern, use of the speed brakes to slow down, etc. - these are part of
the landing procedure and did not need a checklist.

There was a Descent checklist that was accomplished during the initial
descent to take care of the administrative cleanup of the cockpit -
such things as fuel on internal tanks, cabin pressure, altimeter
settings, etc. that was meant to ensure the jet was configured for an
approach. Most of the glider "landing checklists" fit better in this
category - and as such should be accomplished BEFORE entering the
pattern. Used this way, they make sense. I just don't think they are
useful or appropriate while in the pattern - by then it's too late or
even counterproductive!


I am with you. I think that this obsessiveness over checklists can be
downright dangerous. Do you REALLY need a checklist that tells you to
look out of the cockpit? What are you NOT DOING while you are reading
this checklist?

I watched a guy land gear up last summer. He explained that the pattern
became crowded and he didn't have time to go down his checklist. Maybe
he needs another checklist that tells him to check the first list!

Tom Seim
DG-400
Richland, WA

wrote:

I watched a guy land gear up last summer. He explained that the pattern
became crowded and he didn't have time to go down his checklist. Maybe
he needs another checklist that tells him to check the first list!

I was explicitly not taught a pre-landing checklist on the grounds that
our trainers (ASK-21, G103, Puchacz) had welded down gear, no water and
no flaps and everything else was airmanship. The assumption was that by
doing a checklist in these I'd learn to say and ignore the inapplicable
items. A bit later the same instructors encouraged me to find a
checklist that suited me when I progressed to something that needed it.
I think this was sound instruction.

I settled on WUF (water, undercarriage, flaps).

--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. |
org | Zappa fan & glider pilot

Martin Gregorie writes
I was explicitly not taught a pre-landing checklist on the grounds that
our trainers (ASK-21, G103, Puchacz) had welded down gear, no water and
no flaps and everything else was airmanship. The assumption was that by
doing a checklist in these I'd learn to say and ignore the inapplicable
items. A bit later the same instructors encouraged me to find a
checklist that suited me when I progressed to something that needed it.
I think this was sound instruction.

Ditto, though in my case the trainers were Ka13's. Still haven't yet
progressed to the point where I fly anything with flaps or water but did
move on to undercarriages last year.

Stressing the relevance of locking it down for landing was a big part of
the instructor's brief when I first converted from the Ka8's. "Three
green lights" was an expression that one of them mentioned as something
he used in his RAF days.

Oddly enough, it's that which slips into my mind just as I enter circuit
these days and prompts me to check, though I've never flown anything
(beyond the confines of my computer screen) where those three green
lights were anything more than metaphorical and don't really expect to
:P

That said, I've never (yet) had a problem with remembering to lock the
undercarriage down. It's remembering to lock it up that still gets me on
the odd occasion . . .

I'll worry about water and flaps when I get that far. Aside from that,
the only checklists I use for myself are good old CB-SIFT-CBE and
HASSLL. I suspect anything else is just a complication that gets in the
way of the whole airmanship bit.

--
Bill Gribble
http://www.harlequin.uk.net
http://www.scapegoatsanon.demon.co.uk
"Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" - Emerson

Bill Gribble wrote:

That said, I've never (yet) had a problem with remembering to lock the
undercarriage down. It's remembering to lock it up that still gets me on
the odd occasion . . .

That's important too. My only wheel-up was because I'd forgotten to
raise the wheel but did remember to move the lever during landing
preparations....

..... fortunately it was a good greaser landing in a Discus I. Thanks to
the CG hook being proud and the grass smooth I didn't even scratch the
gel coat.

--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. |
org | Zappa fan & glider pilot